dojinshi (thing)

This term usually describes a Japanese comic book not created for/by the professional market. Usually a self published fan productions, although some famous artists occasionally produce doujinshi, these manga can deal with any variety of topics.

The quality of some doujinshi rival professional productions in respects to art, story and presentation. The love for the product is clearly visible in many publications by the luxurious way they are presented.

Some doujinshi artists went on to become famous mangaka, and some stay true to their roots even after their breakthrough and continue to produce other stories for fun to be distributed though the doujinshi channels rather than the large publishing houses with their weekly or monthly magazines. Notable examples include Clamp, some well known Yaoi artists and others.